Quality Assurance Manager - Koa

In 2017, Koa had a brilliant idea of how to contribute to sustainable growth in rural Ghana. The Ghanaian-Swiss start-up was born from a sophisticated concept, innovative processes, and a lot of passion. Koa is the first cocoa fruit processor in West Africa and makes use of the pulp of the cocoa pods, thus reducing food waste and enabling Ghanaian cocoa farmers to earn an additional income.

Koa’s first factory has a capacity of 300 tons, and the second factory has 2,500 tons. Today, over 100 employees in Ghana and Switzerland dedicate themselves to the growth of Koa to boost value creation in the cocoa-growing regions and to develop innovative and pioneering processes. Are you passionate about social impact? Join the Koa team now.

LET’S SUM IT UP

• Direct supervision and implementation of processes according to a selected GFSI benchmarked standard towards the quality and safety of products (cocoa juice & pulp).
• Revision of monitoring activities and related records from farm to finished products and enforcing good manufacturing and hygienic practices systems along the value chain with requisite documentation for all quality-related audits (internal, regulatory and certification)

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Devise and establish a company’s quality procedures, standards, and specifications.
• Set standards for quality as well as health and safety.
• Make sure that manufacturing or production processes meet international and national standards.
• Look at ways to reduce waste and increase efficiency.
• Define quality procedures in conjunction with operating staff.

• Set up and maintain controls and documentation procedures.
• Monitor performance by gathering relevant data and producing statistical reports.
• Review existing policies and make suggestions for changes and improvements and how to implement them.
• Measure performance and identify any areas of weakness, recommending and implementing improvements.
• Liaise with other managers and staff and provide training, tools, and techniques to enable others to achieve quality standards.
• Assess the effectiveness of changes made.
• Make sure the company is working as effectively as possible to keep up with competitors.
• Train and manage a team of quality control technicians.
• Train employees involved in quality assurance and oversee manufacturing and production processes. Regular observation
  of people’s practice and taking corrective actions in everyday production.
• Responsible for laboratory, the establishment of standard operating procedures (SOPs), correct measurement of important
  parameters, and the calibration and maintenance of laboratory equipment
• Supervise and coordinate raw material and packaging inspection processes. Document, update, and maintain raw material and
  packaging specifications.
• Ensure traceability through digital data collection and tracking.
• Establish, manage and update food safety and quality standards in the factory and methods

Qualification Required & Experience

• BSc (MSc is a plus) in Food Process Engineering/Food Safety/Quality Design/Food Science/Food Technology/Chemical Engineering or related field
• A certificate in HACCP or FSMS

Work Experience

• At least 5 years experience in Food Safety and Quality Management Systems
• Minimum 3 years in a role of management
• At least 5 years experience in Food/feed, drugs or related industry.
• A minimum of 3 years of working experience in project management.
• Experience in certifications and external audits
• Knowledge of current industry standards and technologies

COMPETENCE AND SKILLS

• Industry-Specific Technical Knowledge
• Leadership
• Organizational and Planning
• Problem-Solving
• Communication
• Monitoring/Analytical Skills and Time Management

Location: Akim Achiase – Eastern Region